Japan's+Timeline

** 100 BC : rice and iron are imported into Japan by the migration of the Yayoi (related to the Mongols), who also brought a new language and a new religion 0 AD : shintoism becomes the national religion and the "emperor" is merely an official in charge of performing Shinto rituals and symbolic ceremonies 57 AD : Japan is mentioned for the first time in Chinese history 200 : sushi is invented 250 : the shintoist shrine of Ise is founded 239 : first visit by a Japanese envoy to China 400 : the Yamato culture, modeled after China, rules from Kyushu to the Kinai plain, centered around the town of Naniwa in the Yamato plain (Osaka) 500 : Japan adopts the Chinese alphabet 538 : the Korean kingdom of Paekche dispatches a delegation to introduce Buddhism to the Japanese emperor 550 : the Sun (Soga) dynasty ascends to the throne and the capital of Japan is moved to their homeland, the Asuka valley in the central Yamato plain 550 : the term "Shinto" is introduced to differentiate the native religion from Buddhism and Confucianism 593 : prince Shotoku of the Soga clan rules Japan and promotes Buddhism 600 : prince Shotoku sends the first official Japanese mission to China 604 : prince Shotoku issues a Chinese-style constitution (Kenpo Jushichijo), based on Confucian principles, which de facto inaugurates the Japanese empire 605 : prince Shotoku declares Buddhism and Confucianism the state religions of Japan 607 : Shotoku builds the Buddhist temple Horyuji in the Asuka valley 645 : Shotoku is succeeded by Kotoku Tenno, who strengthens imperial power over aristocratic clans (Taika Reform), turning their states into provinces 710 : Japan's capital is moved from Asuka to Nara, modeled after China's capital Xian 712 : the collection of tales "Kojiki" (record of ancient times) 720 : the "Nihon shoki" (history of Japan) 749 : a woman, Shomu's daughter Koken, becomes empress 752 : Japan's emperor Shomu founds the temple Todaiji in Nara (largest wooden building in the world) with a colossal Buddha inside 759 : the poetic anthology "Man'yoshu" ("Collection of Myriad Leaves") 784 : the emperor moves the capital to Nagaoka 788 : the Buddhist monk Saicho founds the monastery of Mt Hiei, near Kyoto, which will become a vast ensemble of temples 794 : emperor Kammu moves the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto) 804 : the Buddhist monk Saicho (Dengyo Daishi) introduces the Tendai school 806 : the monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) introduces the Shingon (Tantric) school 819 : Kukai founds the monastery of Mount Koya, near Kyoto 838 : the emperor forbids contacts with China 858 : emperor Seiwa begins the rule of the Fujiwara clan 909 : first "monogatari" (long story) 1050 : rise of the military class (samurai) 1053 : the Byodo-in temple (near Kyoto) is inaugurated by emperor Fujiwara Yorimichi 1068 : emperor Gosanjo overthrows the Fujiwara clan 1087 : emperor Shirakawa abdicates and becomes a Buddhist monk, the first of the "cloistered emperors" (insei) 1156 : Taira Kiyomori defeats the Minamoto clan and seizes power, thereby ending the "insei" era 1175 : Shinran introduces the Jodo (Pure Land) school of Buddhism 1181 : the famine kills hundreds of thousands of people 1185 : Taira is defeated (Gempei War) and Minamoto Yoritomo of the Hojo clan seizes power, becoming the first shogun of Japan, while the emperor (or "mikado") becomes a figurehead 1191 : Rinzai Zen Buddhism is introduced in Japan by the monk Eisai of Kamakura and becomes popular among the samurai, the leading class in Japanese society 1192 : the emperor appoints Yoritomo as "shogun" (military leader) with residence in Kamakura (bakufu system of government) 1199 : Yoritomo dies 1221 : the Kamakura army defeats the imperial army (Jokyu Disturbance), thereby asserting the supremacy of the Kamakura shogunate (Hojo regents) over the emperor 1227 : Soto Zen Buddhism is introduced in Japan by the monk Dogen 1232 : the Joei Shikimoku code of law is promulgated to enhance control by the Hojo regents 1274 : the Mongols of Kublai Khan try to invade Japan but are repelled by "kamikaze" 1333 : emperor Go-Daigo defeats the Kamakura shogunate, restores imperial power and moves the capital to Muromachi (near Kyoto) 1336 : Ashikaga Takauji captures Kyoto and forces Go-Daigo to move to a southern court (Yoshino, south of Kyoto) 1338 : Takauji declares himself shogun, moves his capital in the Muromachi district of Kyoto and declares the northern court 1392 : the southern court surrenders to the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and the empire is unified again 1467 : civil war (Onin war) erupts in Japan and Japan is split among feudal lords (daimyo) 1542 : firewarms are introduced by a shipwrecked Portugese 1549 : the Catholic missionary Frances Xavier reaches Japan 1568 : the daimyo Oda Nobunaga enters Kyoto and ends the civil war 1570 : the Archbishopric of Edo is established and the first Japanese Jesuits are ordained 1573 : the daimyo Oda Nobunaga overthrows the Muromachi bakufu and extends his control over most of Japan 1575 : Nobunaga defeats the rival Takeda clan in the battle of Nagashino by employing modern warfare 1582 : Nobunaga is murdered and is succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi 1591 : Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunifies and pacifies Japan 1591 : the Jesuits establish the first printing press in Japan 1592 : Toyotomi Hideyoshi tries to conquer Korea but is repelled by China 1598 : Hideyoshi dies after trying a second time to invade Korea 1600 : at the battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu, a friend of Hideyoshi and Nobunaga, defeats the other contenders to the leadership of Japan 1603 : the emperor appoints Ieyasu as shogun, who moves his government to Edo (Tokyo) and founds the Tokugawa dynasty of shoguns 1603 : the Tokugawa Shogunate divides the subjects into five hereditary classes of decreasing importance (lords, samurai, farmers, artisans, merchants) 1614 : Ieyasu bans Christianity from Japan 1615 : Ieyasu captures Osaka and destroys the Toyotomi clan 1633 : the shogun Iemitsu forbids travelling abroad and reading foreign books 1638 : the shogun Iemitsu forbids ship building 1639 : Iemitsu restricts interaction with foreigners to Nagasaki 1641 : Iemitsu bans all foreigners, except Chinese and Dutch, from Japan (the Dutch remain off the coast of Nagasaki) 1650 : with peace, there evolved a new kind of noble, literate warrior according to bushido ("way of the warrior") 1700 : kabuki and ukiyo-e become popular 1707 : Mount Fuji erupts 1790 : Neo-Confucianism becomes the official state philosophy 1820 : China and India account for about half of the world's GDP 1845 : Masahiro Abe becomes the most influential politicians of the shogunate 1854 : the USA forces Japan to sign a trade agreement ("treaty of Kanagawa") which reopens Japan to foreigners after two centuries 1855 : Russia and Japan establish diplomatic relations 1855 : Masayoshi Horta replaces Abe Masahiro 1861 : The domain of Choshu urges the emperor in Kyoto to expand foreign policy 1862 : The domain of Satsuma urges the union of emperor (Kyoto) and shogunate (Edo/Tokyo) 1863 : The domain of Choshu demands from the shogunate the expulsion of all foreigners, but the domain of Satsuma stages a coup and removes Choshu influence from the imperial court 1864 : British, French, Dutch and American warships bomb Choshu and open more Japanese ports for foreigners 1865 : Samurai of humble origins (led by Takayoshi Kido) win the civil war in Choshu 1866 : Takamori Saigo of Satsuma and Takayoshi Kido of Choshu form a secret alliance in Kyoto 1867 : Keiki Tokugawa/ Yoshinobu ascends to the shogunate in Kyoto while emperor Komei dies and is succeeded by the 14-year old son Mutsuhito 1868 : Choshu and Satsuma force the shogun Yoshinobu to resign, the Tokugawa dynasty ends, and the emperor (or "mikado") Meiji is restored, but with capital in Edo/Tokyo and divine attributes 1869 : Shigenobu Okuma becomes vice-minister of finance 1869 : The government begins colonization of Hokkaido 1869 : Yukichi Fukuzawa's "Conditions in the West" launches the wave of Westernization Mar 1869 : Chushu, Satsuma, Hizen and Tosa voluntarily offer their territories to the emperor 1869 : The Confucian school of Edo becomes a Western-style university (later renamed University of Tokyo) 1870 : Meiji dismantles the feudal system and forbids the lords from retaining private armies 1870 : The first newspaper 1871 : The yen debuts 1871 : The revolutionary government dismantles the feudal system and forbids the lords from retaining private armies 1872 : the first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama is inaugurated 1872 : Western dress is prescribed for official ceremonies 1873 : Japan grants religious freedom and adopts the Gregorian calendar 1873 : Japan adopts conscription so that the central government can have an army of its own 1873 : Shigenobu Okuma becomes minister of finance 1873 : Japan revokes the ban on Christianity 1874 : Taisuke Itagaki founds the first party of Japan, the "Aikoku Koto/ Public Party of Patriots" 1874 : Aritomo Yamagata becomes army minister 1875 : Russia exchanges with Japan the Kurile Islands for the island of Sakhalin 1876 : Japan forces Korea to sign the treaty of Kanghwa 1877 : The samurai revolt (led by Saigo) against the emperor who has forbidden them to carry swords, but are defeated by the regular army and Saigo is killed 1877 : Kido dies of tuberculosis 1878 : Toshimichi Okubo of Satsuma is assassinated 1879 : Japan holds regional elections, the first democratic elections outside of the West 1880 : Eiichi Shibusawa founds the Osaka Spinning Mill 1881 : Masayoshi Matsukata becomes finance minister 1881 : Taisuke Itagaki founds the "Jiyuto/ Liberal Party" 1882 : Shigenobu Okuma founds the "Rikken Kaishinto/ Constitutional Progressive Party" 1882 : China sends troops to defend the Korean government and Japan sends troops to defend its delegation after a mob attacks it 1884 : Peasants in the mountains north of Tokyo stage a revolt 1885 : Anarchists led by Mushanokoji Saneatsu found the "Atarashiki Mura/ New Village Movement" that creates communes 1885 : China and Japan agree to pull out their troops from Korea 1885 : Prince Hirobumi Ito becomes Japan's first prime minister 1889 : Emperor Meiji promulgates a parliamentary constitution, but only 460,000 people are entitled to vote out of a population of 50 million in the first parliamentary election 1889 : Aritomo Yamagata becomes the prime minister of Japan 1891 : Yamagata resigns and Masayoshi Matsukata becomes prime minister 1891 : The government founds the Yawata Iron Works 1892 : Matsukata resigns and Hirobumi Ito becomes prime minister 1894 : China sends troops into Korea and Japan invades China (first sino-japanese war) 1895 : Japan defeats China and China is forced to cede Taiwan and recognize Japanese supremacy over Korea at the treaty of Shimonoseki 1896 : the European powers force Japan to surrender the Liaotung peninsula of China 1896 : Ito makes Itagaki home minister, thus creating a coalition which is opposed by the Progressives of Okuma (now renamed "Shimpoto") but the coalition fails and Ito resigns in favor of Matsukata 1896 : A law code based on the German one is adopted 1898 : Matsukata resigns and Shigenobu Okuma becomes prime minister 1899 : Nippon Electric Corporation (NEC) is founded specializing in communications, the first joint venture with foreign capital (USA's Western Electric) 1899 : Yamagata becomes prime minister again 1900 : Yamagata resigns and Ito becomes prime minister again, this time leading the new "Rikken Seiyukai" party 1900 : The population of Japan is 44 million 1901 : Ito resigns and Choshu general Taro Katsura becomes prime minister, the first who does not belong to the original oligarchs of the Meiji Restoration 1902 : Japan signs the London treaty with Britain that recognizes Japan's rights in Korea and Britain's rights in China Feb 1904 : Japan attacks Russia in Manchuria, destroying the Russian fleet at Port Arthur, and invades Korea 1905 : at the battle of Mukden between Japan and Russia over 100,000 soldiers die 1905 : in the naval Battle of the Tsushima Straits, Japan destroys the Russian fleet 1905 : after Japan destroys the Russian fleet at the battle of Tsushima, Russia withdraws from Manchuria, loses Sakhalin, and recognizes a Japanese protectorate over Korea (treaty of Portsmouth), the first time that a non-European country defeats a European power (but the Japanese lose 100,000 lives) 1905 : An eight-year economic boom begins 1906 : Taro Katsura resigns and prince Kimmochi Saionji of Ito's party becomes prime minister 1909 : Japan's politician Ito Hirobumi is assassinated in Manchuria by a Korean nationalist 1910 : Japan annexes Korea and thereby terminates the Choson dynasty 1910 : Umetaro Suzuki discovers the first vitamin, thiamine (vitamin B1) 1911 : Marxist movements are wiped out after the discovery of a plot to assassinate the emperor 1912 : emperor Mutsuhito dies and new emperor Taisho shifts more power to the parliament 1913 : Katsura founds a political party, the Doshikai (later renamed Kenseikai and then Minseito) 1914 : World War I breaks out in the Balkans, pitting Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, USA and Japan against Austria, Germany and Turkey 1914 : Shigenobu Okuma becomes prime minister again 1914 : Takashi Hara or "Kei" becomes the leader of the Rikken Seiyukai 1914 : Den Kenjiro, Aoyama Rokuro and Takeuchi Meitaro found car manufacturer DAT (later Datsun) 1915 : Second economic boom 1915 : The Doshikai wins national elections, the first defeat of the Seiyukai since its formation 1916 : Okuma resigns and is succeeded by Yamagata's protege general Terauchi 1917 : Nikon is founded 1917 : The Seiyukai wins national elections 1918 : Hara of the Seiyukai becomes prime minister 1919 : Makoto Saito is appointed governor of Korea Mar 1920 : Prices collapse and a long stagnation begins 1921 : Hara of the Seiyukai is assassinated by a nationalist 1922 : The Japanese Communist Party is founded 1922 : Yamagata dies, terminating the rule of the original oligarchs 1923 : the great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo 1924 : the US Congress approves the Exclusion Act, that prohibits further immigration from Japan 1924 : Takaaki Kato "Komei" of the Kenseikai becomes prime minister 1925 : Japan introduces universal male suffrage, increasing the number of voters from 3 to 12 million, but becomes de facto a military dictatorship under nominal imperial rule 1926 : Komei dies and is succeeded by Wakatsuki of the Kenseikai/Minseito party 1927 : Collapse of the banking system 1927 : general Guchi Tanaka of Seiyukai becomes prime minister 1928 : Japan's population is 65 million 1928 : Aikawa Yoshisuke founds the holding company Nippon Sangyo, later renamed Nissan 1929 : Hamaguchi of Minseito becomes prime minister 1930 : Britain, Japan, France, Italy and the USA sign the London Naval Treaty, an agreement to reduce naval warfare Sep 1931 : The Japanese army provokes an incident and invades Manchuria without consulting with the Wakatsuki government 1931 : Tsuyoshi Inukai of Seiyukai becomes prime minister and lets the yen devalue Dec 1931 : The pro-war general Araki Sadao is appointed Ministry of War 1931 : Right-wing groups plot coups against the government May 1932 : Makoto Saito is appointed prime minister 1932 : Following a devaluation of the currency, the Japanese economy begins to recover ahead of Western economies May 1932 : Nationalist military officers assassinate prime minister Inukai, attack banks and police stations 1932 : the Japanese army institutes the first "comfort houses" during the battle of Shanghai Mar 1932 : Japan declares Manchuria independent as the puppet state of Manchukuo under the last Qing 1932 : Mass arrests of socialists Sep 1932 : War minister Araki Sadao promulgates the "Kodoha/ The Imperial Way" ideology of nationalism and expansion 1933 : the Japanese army invades Hebei 1933 : Nissan takes control of Datsun 1933 : following the condemnation of Japan's occupation of Manchuria, Japan Leaves the League of Nations 1934 : the Japanese install former Manchu emperor Puyj as head of the puppet state of Manchukuo 1934 : Fuji is founded Jul 1934 : Makoto Saito resigns and is succeeded by admiral Keisuke Okada 1935 : the Fuji Electric corporation spins off Fujitsu, specializing in telecommunications 1935 : The Soviet Union declares that the fascist states of Germany and Japan are the enemies Feb 1936 : National elections are won by Minseito using pro-fascism slogans Feb 1936 : Troops led by young nationalist officers attempt a coup in Tokyo Mar 1936 : Keisuke Okada resigns and is succeeded by Koki Hirota Dec 1936 : Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact (de facto, an anti-Soviet pact) Feb 1937 : The nationalist general Senjuro Hayashi becomes prime minister for four months Apr 1937 : The two bigger parties Minseito and Seiyukai won the vast majority of votes, a humiliating defeat for the right-wing nationalists and Hayashi has to resign Jun 1937 : The aristocratic Fumimaro Konoe, a protege of Saionji, becomes prime minister trying to bridge the gap between government and parties 1937 : Japan begins a secret program of naval construction 1937 : Kiichiro Toyoda founds the Toyota Motor Corporation Jul 1937 : A clash between Chinese and Japanese troops lead to a general war Dec 1937 : Japan captures Nanjing (350,000 Chinese are killed and 100,000 women are raped during the "rape of Nanking") 1938 : Japan opens the first wartime facility for "sexual comfort" in Nanjing Oct 1938 : Japan captures Canton Nov 1938 : Prime minister Konoe announces the "New Order" in Asia 1939 : Japan establishes the "Unit 731" research laboratory for biological warfare in Harbin, China, and tests biological weapons on war prisoners (10,000 die) May 1939 : Japan fights a battle against Soviet troops at Nomonhan on the Mongolian-Manchurian border 1939 : Toshiba is founded to produce home appliances Mar 1940 : Japan creates a puppet government in Nanjing Sep 1940 : Italy, Germany and Japan sign the pact of the "axis" 1940 : The population of Japan is 73 million and the population of Tokyo is 6.8 million 1940 : Japan inherits French Indochina (Vietnam) from France (Vichy government) and announces the intention of creating a "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" 1940 : Japan bombs the Chinese city of Ningbo with fleas carrying the bubonic plague Apr 1941 : Japan signs a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union Jun 1941 : Germany attacks the Soviet Union, embarrassing Japan, and Japan decides to honor its neutrality pact Jul 1941 : Japan invades French Indochina and the USA places an embargo on oil exports to Japan 1941 : Japan invades the Philippines and Thailand Oct 1941 : general Hideki Tojo becomes prime minister Dec 1941 : Japan attacks the USA fleet at Pearl Harbour 1942 : Japan captures Burma 1942 : Japan invades the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and British India 1944 : the USA drops 22,885 tons of bombs on the Tokyo-Kawasaki-Yokohama area Jul 1944 : Prime minister Hideki Tojo resigns and is succeeded by Kuniaki Koiso Apr 1945 : The USA lands in Okinawa and Koiso resigns, replaced by Kantaro Suzuki May 1945 : Germany surrenders to the USA, Britain and the Soviet Union Aug 1945 : the USA drops two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and emperor Hirohito surrenders, World War II ends and Japan is forced to retreat from the land it occupied Apr 1946 : Shigeru Yoshida of the Seiyukai or Liberal Party becomes prime minister 1947 : Japan ratifies a new democratic constitution and the emperor remains a mere figurehead 1947 : The Liberal Party narrowly wins elections ahead of the Minseito or Democratic Party and the Socialist Party 1947 : The socialist Tetsu Katayama becomes prime minister with help from the Democrats 1948 : Soichiro Honda founds a car manufaturing company 1948 : Sadamichi Hirasawa poisons to death the workers of a bank ("Teigin Incident") Dec 1948 : Tojo and others are hanged 1949 : The Liberal Party wins the absolute majority in national elections and Yoshida becomes the most influential politician 1950 : William Edwards Deming begins to consult for Japanese companies teaching them how to improve design and quality 1951 : Japan's GNP is US$14.2 billion, 4.2% of the USA's GNP, half of West Germany's, one third less than Britain's 1951 : Osamu Tezuka publishes the comic strip "Mighty Atom", later renamed "Astro Boy" Apr 1952 : the USA returns Japan to independence 1952 : Japanese companies license the technology of the transistor from the USA 1954 : Japanese electronic company TTK (later Sony) introduces the world's first transistor radio Dec 1954 : Yoshida resigns from prime minister, while the economy grows at an average rate of 11%, and is replaced by Ichiro Hatoyama 1954 : Fujitsu enters the computer market 1955 : Japan produces 69,000 cars 1955 : Japan has 89 million people Oct 1955 : The socialists unite in the JSP while the Liberal and the Democratic party merge into the LDP, that wins 63% of the vote 1956 : the first Japanese car is sold in the USA 1958 : NEC builds the Japan's first electronic computer, the NEAC 1101 1958 : Taiji Yabushita directs the first "anime", "Hakujaden/ The Tale of the White Serpent" 1959 : Tatsumi Hijikata's "Forbidden Colours" invents "butoh" dance 1960 : Hayato Ikeda becomes prime minister 1963 : Junichi Nishizawa at Tohoku University proposes the use of optical fibers for communications 1964 : Eisaku Sato becomes prime minister 1964 : the Shinkansen (bullet train) is inaugurated 1965 : Japan has 98 million people 1967 : Seiko introduces the first quartz wristwatch 1968 : Kawabata becomes the first Japanese to win a Nobel prize 1968 : Japan produces 4.1 million cars 1969 : Annual GDP growth averages 10.4% during the 1960s 1969 : Boom of "shojo manga" in Japan, comics drawn by female artists for an audience of girls 1970 : Japan is the third economic power in the world (after the USA and the Soviet Union), having overtaken all European economies Dec 1970 : The USA has a trade deficit of $1.2 billion with Japan and one dollar is worth 360 yens 1971 : The USA pulls out of the Bretton Woods agreement of fixed exchange rates and forces the yen to rise 1971 : Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue builds the first karaoke machine in Kobe 1971 : Riyoko Ikeda debuts the shojo manga "Berusaiyu no Bara/ The Rose of Versailles)" 1972 : the Japanese Red Army carries out a terrorist attack in Israel Sep 1972 : Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka meets with Chinese premier Zhou Enlai Dec 1972 : The USA has a trade deficit of $4.1 billion with Japan and one dollar is worth 302 yens 1973 : worldwide oil crisis 1973 : Canon introduces the first color photocopier 1974 : Isao Takahata creates the animated tv series "Heidi, Girl of the Alps" 1974 : Leiji Matsumoto creates the tv space-opera anime "Uchu Senkan Yamato/ Space Battleship Yamato" 1975 : Six economic powers meet in Paris (USA, Japan, Germany, France, Britain and Italy) forming the G6 1975 : Japan has 112 million people 1978 : Japan and China sign a peace treaty 1979 : Sony launches the "Walkman" portable stereo 1979 : Yoshiyuki Tomino creates the tv space-opera anime "Kido Senshi Gandamu/ Mobile Suit Gundam", the first "Real-robot anime" 1980 : Japan's GDP of $1040 billion is about 40% of the USA's GDP and the third largest in the world after the Soviet Union 1981 : The Honda Accord is the first car with a navigation system 1981 : Rumiko Takahashi creates the manga "Urusei Yatsura" 1981 : Sony introduces the first 3 1/2" floppy diskettes 1981 : Toshiba enters the market for laptop computers 1982 : Sony launches the compact disc 1982 : Hayao Miyazaki creates the anime "No Nausicaa" 1984 : Canon demonstrates first electronic camera 1984 : Katsuhiro Otomo creates the cyberpunk anime "Akira" 1985 : Japan signs the Plaza Accord that lowers the value of the dollar and increases the value of the yen Jan 1985 : One USA dollar is worth 251 yen 1986 : Shigechiyo Izumi dies at 120, the oldest man in the world 1988 : 8 out the 10 largest companies by market capitalization are based in Japan 1988 : Sharp introduces the first commercial LCD television 1988 : Fujitsu introduces the first digital camera, the DS-1P Jan 1989 : One USA dollar is worth 125 yen 1989 : On the last day of the year, the Japanese NIKKEI stock market (the largest stock market in the world) reaches an all-time high of 38,915 1989 : the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is founded to bring together the USA, Japan, Australia, Chile, etc 1990 : The Japanese "bubble economy" bursts, with stock prices declining for 13 years, erasing some trillions of dollars in wealth 1992 : By year-end the Japanese stock market has fallen 55% from its peak 1992 : Fujitsu introduces the world's first full-color plasma display 1995 : members of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult uses nerve gas to kill innocents in the Tokyo subway 1995 : Yoshiyuki Sadamoto creates the manga "Neon Genesis Evangelion" 1995 : 36 million cars are manufactured in the world, of which 7.6 million in Japan and 6.3 million in the USA, although 8.6 million cars are sold in the USA alone 1995 : an earthquake kills 6,500 people in Kobe 1995 : terrorists belonging to a religious sect use chemicals in the Tokyo subway 1996 : The first DVD player is introduced by Toshiba 1997 : the economic crisis intensifies 1997 : Toyota introduces the Prius, the world's first commercially mass-produced hybrid automobile 1997 : most countries of the world agree on reducing the level of greenhouse-gas emissions in order to avoid climate changes such as global warming, (Kyoto Protocol) 1998 : 38 million vehicles sold worldwide (4.5 million workers and revenues of 1.5 billion dollars) 1998 : The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge linking Shikoku with Honshu opens, becoming the largest suspension bridge in the world 2001 : reformist Junichiro Koizumi is nominated prime minister by the ruling coalition in an attempt to fight the 10-year old stagnation 2001 : Mamoru Takuma kills eight children in a primary school in Osaka 2003 : the Japanese NIKKEI stock market average bottoms up at 7699 after falling 80% from its 1989 peak, and skyrockets 41% from april to october 2003 : Sony introduces a Blu-Ray disc player 2003 : 34,427 people commit suicide in Japan, the highest yearly number recorded so far 2003 : Kamato Hongo, Japan's oldest person, dies at 116 2003 : An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 rocks the northern island of Hokkaido 2004 : for the first time since the end of WW II, Japan sends troops to a warzone (Iraq) 2004 : India becomes the largest recipient of Japanese aid 2005 : the Kyoto protocol (to reduce the level of greenhouse-gas emissions in order to avoid climate changes such as global warming) is adopted by 141 countries of the world but not the USA, China, India and Australia 2005 : Real-estate prices have fallen 75% from their 1990 peak 2005 : Japan's population starts to decline 2005 : a foreigner, Howard Stringer, is appointed head of Sony 2005 : the unemployment rate falls to 4.4% from a peak of 5.4% 2005 : Japan's prime minister Junichiro Koizumi stages a landslide victory in elections, boosting support for his economic reform 2006 : Shinzo Abe succeeds Koizumi as Japan's prime minister 2006 : Japan imposes tough sanctions against North Korea following North Korea's nuclear test 2006 : China becomes Japan's largest trading partner Dec 2006 : The USA has a trade deficit of $90 billion with Japan and one dollar is worth 119 yens 2007 : World stock markets collapse 2007 : Toyota passes General Motors as the world's largest car manufacturer 2007 : a Japanese cabinet minister hangs himself over a corruption scandal, the first cabinet minister to kill himself since the end of World War II 2007 : crash of the stock markets worldwide, triggered by the crisis of USA sub-prime mortgage lenders, with the Nikkei's worst downfall since september 2001 2007 : Shinzo Abe resigns and is succeeded by Yasuo Fukuda 2007 : Japan signs a free-trade agreement with ASEAN 2008 : Honda unveils the first mass-market hydrogen-propelled vehicle, the "FCX Clarity" 2008 : Mitsubishi ships the first-ever laser TV set 2008 : Yasuo Fukuda resigns and is succeeded by Taro Aso, the fourth prime minister in two years sep 2008 : Crash of the stock markets worldwide, triggered by the collapse of USA banks oct 2008 : Japan's stock market plunges 9.4% in one day and then 9.6% a few days later, the biggest one-day drops since the 1987 market crash, as the economy enters its longest recession since World War II dec 2008 : Toyota announces the first loss in 71 years dec 2008 : Japan's GDP shrinks 12.7% in the last quarter, the steepest decline since 1974, with industrial production plunging at the steepest pace in 55 years jan 2009 : Japan's exports fall more than 45% in january and 49% in february to the lowest figure ever recorded jan 2009 : One USA dollar is worth 90 yen aug 2009 : Japan's recession ends but exports fall 36% compared with a year earlier and unemployment reaches a record 5.7% aug 2009 : Yukio Hatoyama of the Democratic Party wins the election and becomes the new prime minister jul 2009 : none of the 10 largest companies by market capitalization is based in Japan jun 2010 : Yukio Hatoyama resigns after failing to close the USA military base at Okinawa and is succeeded by Naoto Kan as prime minister sep 2010 : The government discovers that more than 230,000 Japanese who are listed as being aged 100 or over are dead**